


A Whole New World

by ghost_writer26 (kinksock22)



Series: Whole New World [1]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alpha Jensen, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Barebacking, Bottom Jared, Claiming, Explicit Sexual Content, First Time, Knotting, M/M, Mating, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Jared, RPS - Freeform, Rimming, Schmoop, Self-Lubrication, Shy Jared, insecure jared, mention of MPREG
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-11
Updated: 2016-03-11
Packaged: 2018-05-26 04:17:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6223543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinksock22/pseuds/ghost_writer26
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For this prompt on the kink meme: <i>Jared grew up among humans, hiding his werewolf side because his adoptive parents told him werewolves were dangerous bloodthirsty things.</i></p><p>
  <i>He ends up running away from home and being found by the small wolfpack by alpha in training Jensen and his patrol.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Cue Jared struggling to accept his true nature, and Jensen trying to help him along, not understanding how Jared sees himself as 'wrong' and slowly falling for him.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Whole New World

**Author's Note:**

> First knotting fic I ever wrote. Written on 03/20/13 on livejournal under ghost_writer26. Un-beta'd.

Jared never knew his birth parents. Didn’t even know how he came to live with his adoptive parents to begin with. All he does know, is when he was little and didn’t have as much control over his shifting, his adoptive parents freaked the hell right out.  
  
They forced Jared to concentrate on shifting back – not so easy to do when you’re five and don’t really understand why you’re shifting into a wolf pup in the first place – and spent his younger years telling him not to shift, that he needed to hide that part of himself. They told him that as a wolf, he was dangerous and wouldn’t be able to control himself and would hurt them or someone else.  
  
And Jared believed them. He had no reason not to. As far as he knew, they were his parents and only had his best interests at heart. They didn’t want anyone to find out that Jared was a freak – an anomaly, a monster. They told him that if anyone ever found out, they’d take Jared away and he’d never see his parents again.  
  
So Jared spent his life hiding that part of himself, ignoring the call of his inner wolf and the piece of himself that felt empty and alone. He was terrified of his wolf, of losing control and being the monster his parents said he was. And as far as he knew, there was no one else out there like him.  
  
Jared spent eighteen years of his life denying there was anything different about him. He went to school, kept to himself, studied hard and tried to make his parents proud. It was all good until his biology got the better of him one night right after he graduated high school, right after his eighteenth birthday.   
  
He’d been feeling off all day; a deep ache in his body and it felt like he was burning up, from the inside out. His skin felt too tight and itchy and his thoughts were scattered and he felt a weird, squirmy sensation in his belly.  
  
His parents were out of town – visiting his aunt the next state over – so he couldn’t go to them for help. At a loss, Jared strips down and takes a shower – water as cold as he can stand. It doesn’t help, that not right feeling only intensifying as time passes. By the time he gets out of the shower, he’s rock-hard and there’s a strange, wet feeling between his ass cheeks. Hands shaking, his runs one finger down the cleft of his ass, shuddering when his finger slides through the thick, slippery liquid and the pad of his finger brushes his hole. A low whine tears from his throat and he collapses to his knees.  
  
He doesn’t know what’s going on, just knows that something is wrong. His wolf is closer to the surface than ever, clawing at his insides, wanting to break free. Terrified, Jared does the only thing he can think to do. He runs out of the house, shifting as he takes off through the woods on the outskirts of his yard and doesn’t look back.  
  
++++++  
  
Jensen stops his patrol, looking back at Christian and Steve, whining low in his throat. Chris’ ears lay back against his head and he growls softly, nosing at the ground while Steve paces in a circle. He knows that they smell it too, an unmated, packless omega. And he’s close.  
  
Jensen shifts, waiting for his two best friends – and second and third in command – to do the same. He looks around them, not seeing the wolf in question right away. “What’d’ya think, Jen?” Chris asks, scenting the air, his nose twitching at the sweet, over-powering scent of an omega in heat. Jensen’s only smelled it once before – on a trip with his father to visit the pack one state over but he’ll never forget the scent. What he’s not really expecting is what it does to his inner wolf.  
  
“I don’t know, man,” Jensen mutters, his head spinning from the smell. As Alpha-in-training he has more control than most wolves but that sweet, spun-sugar scent is slowly starting to drive him crazy. “You and Steve head back, check the perimeter as you go.”  
  
“Jensen,” Steve starts, shaking his head. “You think it’s a good idea to split up? What if he’s hurt? He could be dangerous.”  
  
Jensen shakes his head. “I don’t smell blood. Just the heat. And fear. I think that three alphas showing up would scare him more than anything.” He pauses, pulling himself to his full height. “Go back. Call Jim and my father. I’ll be along as soon as I find him.”  
  
“Yes, Alpha,” Steve and Chris mutter in unison, shifting again and taking off back toward home. Jensen watches them go for a few moments before shifting again himself and dropping his nose to the dirt.  
  
It’s easy to find the omega. Jensen stops short when he sees a fairly large wolf – smaller than himself but larger than most omegas. He’s huddled against the base of a tree, dirty and wet, shivering in the light drizzle that had started hours ago. Jensen tilts his head to the side, silently observing the wolf for a moment.  
  
Under the dirt, Jensen can see that his fur is a beautiful tawny color, his front legs the only part that is white. And when he lifts his head, gold-flecked hazel-green eyes widen with shock and fear. Jensen almost chokes on the acrid smell of terror, the smell momentarily overpowering the sweet scent of the wolf’s heat. Jensen shifts immediately, one hand held out when the wolf drops down lower, cowering in the dirt and mud.  
  
“Hey, it’s okay. ‘m Jensen, I’m not gonna hurt you.” The wolf whines low in his throat, his ears flat against his head. “Can you shift so I can talk to you?”  
  
++++++  
  
Jared looks up at the man standing in front of him, another low whine tearing from his throat. He doesn’t seem dangerous but he’s obviously a monster just like Jared and according to his parents, that’s a bad thing; wolves are dangerous and can’t be trusted. But he’s vulnerable in his wolf form – not used to walking, let alone running, on four legs – and maybe if he can talk to the man, Jared can convince him to just let him go.  
  
Jared closes his eyes, whimpering when he forces the change. It takes a long time and a scream tears from his throat when his bones realign and his fur gives way to skin. He’s lying on his side, panting, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes.  
  
The man – Jensen – makes an odd, almost wounded sound in the back of his throat and the next thing Jared knows there are rough, strong hands moving over him, pushing his hair away from his forehead. “Please,” he gasps, blinking his eyes open to look up at Jensen. “’m sorry. I didn’t… Please, don’t hurt me. I’ll go.”  
  
“Whoa, hold on. Calm down, okay?” Jensen’s kneeling next to him, his green eyes dark with what looks like concern. “First, ‘m not gonna hurt you. Second, there’s no way that you can go anywhere like this.”  
  
“Please,” Jared whimpers again, curling up in as small of a ball as he can. The only good thing about all of this is that his fear has momentarily made those  _other_  feelings go away.  
  
“Shh, ‘s okay,” Jensen repeats, soothingly. “What’s your name?”  
  
“J-jared,” he whispers, wrapping his arms around his middle.  
  
“Okay, Jared. What’s wrong? Why’d you have so much trouble shifting?”  
  
Jared blinks owlishly, daring to glance up at the man. “’m not supposed to,” he says softly, so quietly he’s not sure the older man can even hear him. “’s bad and I’ll hurt someone. I just… I didn’t mean to.” Tears burn at the corners of his eyes again and he shakes his head. “I just wanted to get away. Something’s wrong with me.”  
  
++++++  
  
Jensen frowns down at the young omega, mind spinning. He’s never seen someone have such a hard time shifting, never seen someone go through so much pain. He scents the air again, now that he’s closer to Jared, trying to see if he can scent blood or injury. Other than the terror – and the faint scent of his heat still lingering – Jensen doesn’t smell anything.  
  
“What,” he pauses, clearing his throat. “What’d’ya mean somethin’ is wrong with you? Are you hurt? I don’t smell it.”  
  
Jared shakes his head, pulling his long, lean legs closer to his chest. “No, not hurt,” he whispers.  
  
Jensen breathes out a sigh of relief. “Okay, that’s good. Where’d you come from, Jared? How come you don’t have a pack?”  
  
“P-pack?” Jared asks.  
  
“Yeah, I mean, I’ve never met a lone wolf before…”  
  
Jared sits straight up, his eyes wide with shock and fear. “There are others?”  
  
“Of course, Jared. What… Okay, I think we need to get you back to town, let Doc Beaver take a look at you and figure out what the hell’s goin’ on.”  
  
“No,” Jared cries out, scrambling back away from Jensen. “I can’t… I can’t be around people. I’ll hurt someone. The… the _other_ part is too close.”  
  
Jensen blinks slowly and huffs out a breath. “Okay, alright. Calm down.” The rain has let up but Jared’s still shivering and Jensen would really love to get him checked out. “Can you tell me where you came from?”  
  
“That way,” Jared mutters, flailing one long arm toward the north part of the forest, toward the human town.  
  
A sickening thought occurs to Jensen and he just prays that he’s not right. “Jared… were you… have you ever been your wolf before?”  
  
“Not since I was little,” Jared answers, his voice small for such a large body. “Momma said it was bad, that I’d hurt someone, hurt them. ‘m a monster,” Jared whispers miserably.  
  
“Oh, Jared,” Jensen sighs. “You’re not a monster. You’re a were.”  
  
“A were?”  
  
“Yes, a werewolf. You… I think you were raised by humans.” Jared blinks, a look of confusion passing over his features. “Are your parents like you?”  
  
“No,” Jared gasps, shaking his head violently. “They’re normal.”  
  
“When was the last time you shifted? Before tonight?”  
  
“When I was five, maybe.”  
  
“And how old are you now?”  
  
“Eighteen. Just turned a few days ago.”  
  
Well that explains so fucking much. Jensen sighs softly and rubs at the back of his neck. “Jared, we really need to get you outta here and back to my pack. You’ve started your heat and it’s… it’s dangerous to be out here like this.”  
  
“Heat?”  
  
Jesus Christ, the poor kid doesn’t know a damn thing. “I promise I’ll explain everything, Jared. Please, just trust me, okay?”  
  
++++++  
  
Jared looks up at the older man, his heart pounding against his ribs. He’s still afraid but he can feel that _other_  feeling coming back, that ache returning to his stomach, that slick feeling between his thighs. And it seems to get worse when he takes a deep breath, taking in the spicy, earthy scent of the man in front of him.  
  
Jensen’s eyes go wide and his nose twitches. “Jared, we need to get you outta here. Now.”  
  
He doesn’t wait for Jared to respond, just stands up and picks Jared right up off the ground. Jared wants to protest, to struggle, but his limbs feel like lead and his head is pounding. He drops his head against Jensen’s shoulder, whimpering softly. “Shh, ‘s okay, I got’cha,” Jensen mutters.  
  
The next few minutes – hours? – are a blur to Jared. He curls up as best as he can in Jensen’s arms, surprised by the older man’s strength. Sure, he’s a bit older and a bit more muscular, but Jared’s tall, at least as tall as Jensen, and by no means a lightweight. But he’s carrying Jared like he weighs nothing.  
  
“We’re almost there,” Jensen says softly, turning his head enough to whisper against the side of Jared’s head.  
  
Jared sees other people, other wolves, around. But none of them make a move toward them. Jensen takes him into a large house on the edge of town, settling him down in a nice, soft bed. Jared’s so confused but when Jensen goes to move away, he somehow knows that that’s the last thing he wants. He whines, reaching out to the older man.  
  
Jensen swallows thickly and shakes his head. “Jared,” he rasps. “I… I gotta let Doc take a look at you. And I gotta go talk to my dad. I promise, I’ll be back. Jim’s a good guy. He won’t hurt you.”  
  
Jared’s eyes slide closed when Jensen walks back out of the room. He loses track of time again, not really knowing how long it is before Jensen’s back with an older man. He has kind blue eyes and a beard and his eyes crinkle a bit when he smiles. “Hi, Jared. I’m Jim. Or Doc Beaver, which ever you prefer. ‘mma check you out and give you something for the,” he pauses, exchanging a look with Jensen, “for the feelings that you’re having. Is that okay?”  
  
Jared shoots a look at Jensen, the tension in his belly lessening when the older man nods at him. Jared looks back up at Jim and nods, a barely-there jerk of his chin. “Very good. We’ll get you comfortable and then Jensen’ll come back in a bit to check on ya. Sound good?”  
  
Jared nods again and watches as Jensen walks out the door again, his attention turning back to the older man, trying to bite back the whimper that wants to come out when he moves closer to the bed.  
  
++++++  
  
Jensen finds his father in his office, Chris and Steve sitting in the two chairs in front of his desk. “Alpha,” Jensen nods respectfully, taking the sweats Steve hands him before taking the seat Chris vacates for him.  
  
“Well?” Alan asks, taking his glasses off to pinch at the bridge of his nose.  
  
Jensen sighs and his shoulders slump. “He was raised by humans that told him he was a monster,” Jensen starts, anger curling through his system. “He hasn’t shifted since he was five, has no idea he’s an omega or what a heat is. He didn’t even know there were others.”  
  
Alan’s eyes widen and Jensen hears Chris mutter, “Shit.”  
  
Jensen licks his lips, rubbing at the back of his neck. “We can’t just… we can’t turn him away, Dad,” he says earnestly.  
  
Alan sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose again. “I understand where you’re coming from, son. I do. But we can’t just… kidnap him from his life.”  
  
“He ran away because he started his heat and was terrified! Those humans told him that he was bad. That he’d hurt someone. He deserves to know the truth.”  
  
“I agree,” Alan interrupts. “You’ll help Jim teach him what he needs to know and once he’s clear-headed, it’ll be his choice. If he wants to stay, he’s welcome.”  
  
“Thank you, Dad. Seriously.”  
  
Alan holds up one hand, his look and tone stern. “But you will stay away while he’s in heat. All alphas will. The last damn thing the poor boy needs is to have y’all sniffing around him. He is by no means to be mated. Am I clear?” he demands, looking between Chris, Steve and Jensen.  
  
“Yes, Alpha,” they all mutter in unison.  
  
Jensen paces outside the room Jared’s in, waiting not-so-patiently for the doc to finish up. He breathes a sigh of relief when the older beta exits the room, closing the door gently behind him. Jim looks up, shaking his head sadly. “God, that poor boy,” he mutters, jerking his chin toward the living room.  
  
Jensen follows, sitting down in the chair across from Jim. “How is he?”  
  
“Confused. Terrified. But he’s resting now. I gave him some suppressants for the heat, just to make it easier on him since it‘s his first and he has no clue what’s happenin’ to his body. Other than that, he’s a little cold and exhausted. I got him cleaned up and he’s restin’ now.”  
  
Jensen nods, rubbing at the back of his neck. “That’s good. Did’ya get much of a chance to talk to him?”  
  
“A bit,” Jim nods, scratching at his beard. “Despite the sups, he’s gonna be outta it for a day or two.”  
  
Jensen nods again, leaning back against the back of the chair. “My father doesn’t want any alphas around him until the heat’s passed.”  
  
“That makes sense. What’s the plan after?”  
  
“Me and you get to teach him about himself. Then he gets the choice, if he wants to stay, he can. If not, I’ll take him back to his parents.”  
  
Jim sighs and runs a hand over his balding head. “Okay,” he sighs. “Get some rest, kiddo. You look like shit on a stick. And you’re gonna need all your strength when the time comes.” Jim stands up, one hand squeezing Jensen’s shoulder. “I’ll see ya in a few days.”  
  
Jensen smiles up at the older beta and nods. “Sure thing, old man.” He laughs when Jim mutters about cocky, smartass younger alphas.  
  
++++++  
  
Jared spends two days curled into a ball, rocking back and forth, whining low in his throat, trying to alleviate the ache in his body. He drifts in and out of various stages of consciousness, his mind fuzzy and his body feeling like it’s not his own. Other than Doc Beaver, he hasn’t seen anyone since the night Jensen brought him here and he’s starting to feel a little nervous, the fear from that night coming back.  
  
The third morning he wakes up and feels like himself again. The wetness between his thighs is gone and his cock has finally softened. He lets out a sigh of relief and stretches, his body still tired and a little achy but it’s definitely not the same.  
  
The first night he was here, Jim showed him where the en-suite bathroom was and helped Jared wash up some. But he hasn’t had a proper shower in days and his body is gross and sticky with dried sweat and slick and come, dirt and mud from his run through the forest. Pushing himself out of bed, he pads to the bathroom, his eyes closing as a low moan rumbles in his chest when he steps under the amazingly warm water. He showers thoroughly, almost scrubbing his skin pink before he’s done but he feels mostly human again when he steps back out into the bedroom.  
  
There’s a dresser with t-shirts and sweats and he debates with himself for a moment before pulling the clothes on – he sure as hell can’t run around naked all the time. Once he’s dressed, his stomach makes itself known, reminding him that he also hasn’t eaten anything in a few days either. He pokes his head out the door, looking left and right down the hallway before sneaking out the door. He’s not sure where he’s going – what’s even going on really – but he just knows that he’s freaking  _starving_.  
  
He’s wondering down the hall when a pretty, young blonde girl steps out of one of the rooms. She smiles brightly, her eyes a brilliant green and Jared doesn’t know how he knows, just somehow knows that she’s related to Jensen.  
  
“Hi,” she says brightly. “You must be Jared. ‘m Mackenzie, Jensen’s sister. Can I help you find something?” Jared’s stomach grumbles loudly and a blush creeps across his cheeks. But Mackenzie just laughs and threads her arm through Jared’s, tugging him down the hall. “Guess you’re pretty hungry, huh? No worries, we’ll get ya some breakfast and then let Jen and Daddy know that you’re up.”  
  
Jared nods and lets her drag him into the kitchen. It’s empty but there are plates of bacon and eggs and biscuits and gravy and Jared’s mouth waters. Mackenzie makes him a huge plate and steers him toward the dining table. “Momma must be out in the gardens. I’ll just go find Jensen and Dad.”  
  
“Thank you, Mackenzie,” Jared whispers, smiling hesitantly at the girl.  
  
“No problem. And you can just call me Mack,” she smiles brightly again and in the blink of an eye, she’s gone back out the door.  
  
Jared inhales deeply and starts eating, thankful that he’s alone because his momma would have a fit at his lack of table manners but he’s just so freaking hungry. There’s a low rumble of laughter behind him after a few minutes and Jared’s head snaps around, blushing when he sees Jensen leaning against the doorframe.  
  
“Sorry,” Jared mutters, dipping his head.  
  
Jensen steps further into the room, squeezing Jared’s shoulder as he passes. “Nonsense. Mom will be pleased that you’re enjoyin’ your meal. ‘sides, you must be famished. I mean, with shifting and your heat…” he trails off, shrugging one shoulder. “Eat up. Once you’re done, we’ll head over to see Doc.”  
  
++++++  
  
Jensen watches, pleased, when Jared picks his fork back up and digs in, finishing all the food on his plate. Once he’s finished, he looks up at Jensen, that pretty pink blush still staining his high cheekbones. “Want seconds?” Jensen asks.  
  
“No, thank you,” Jared replies politely.  
  
Jensen smiles and pushes to his feet. “Alrighty. So let’s go.” Jensen leads him out of the house and to the house next door. It’s not quite as big but still nice – larger than his parents’ house, that’s for sure. Doc Beaver is in the kitchen, a cup of coffee at his elbow as he reads the paper.  
  
He looks up, smiling at them. “Jensen,” he says fondly. “And Jared. So nice to see you up and about, son. How’re you feelin’?”  
  
“’m good,” Jared mutters, dropping his eyes to the floor.  
  
Jensen presses a hand to the small of Jared’s back, urging him into a chair at Jim’s kitchen table. “Got any more coffee, old man?”  
  
Jim growls playfully and Jared’s head jerks up, eyes wide. Jensen sighs and pats the younger man on the back. “’s okay,” he whispers before grabbing a cup of coffee for himself. He settles down next to Jim, snagging a piece of toast off the beta’s plate.  
  
“Didn’t your momma feed you this mornin’, boy?” Jim mock-scowls at him. Jensen just shrugs and smirks. Jim rolls his eyes and turns his attention to Jared. “So,” he starts, tone soft and soothing and Jensen’s immensely glad that his dad had the brilliant idea of having Jim help him with Jared. “Why don’t we start from the beginning?”  
  
Jared looks between the two of them and inhales deeply. “I don’t remember much from when I was younger,” he starts softly. “Just remember momma tellin’ me that I was… dangerous when I was a wolf. They’d force me to shift back whenever I changed. I didn’t have any control back then. It… it took a while before I could keep it from happenin’ altogether.”  
  
Jim nods and Jensen has to bite the inside of his jaw to keep from saying something stupid. “Well, do you realize now that you’re not dangerous? That none of us are?”  
  
Jared shakes his head, his eyes wide when he looks up at Jim. “I don’t… I don’t know what to think,” he whispers.  
  
Jim looks between Jensen and Jared, a calculating look in his eyes. “I think that you should stay with Jensen, see what we’re all about here. Let him teach you what it’s like to be a were.”  
  
Jared glances quickly at Jensen then looks back at Jim. “Okay,” he says softly. Jensen breathes a sigh of relief, smiling gratefully at the older beta.  
  
Jensen leads Jared back out of the house and towards the line of trees surrounding their small town. They aren’t a large pack and they’re all very close but he wants to keep Jared away from everyone else until the younger man is more comfortable. Jared looks at him wide-eyed when they get into the woods, his hands trembling slightly at his sides. “I figured we could shift and go for a run. What’d’ya think?”  
  
Jared swallows thickly but nods, his cheeks flushing again when Jensen strips off his jeans and t-shirt, his eyes darting to the ground. Jensen smiles at the bashfulness. He can’t help but think Jared’s just about the most adorable thing he’s ever seen. “I’ll shift and head toward that tree. Take your time and come to me when you’re ready, okay?”  
  
Jared nods and watches – hazel eyes still wide – as Jensen effortlessly shifts and trots off toward the tree. It takes a few long minutes and his whole body tenses when he hears Jared’s high pitched whine but when he turns around, there’s a beautiful tawny wolf stumbling toward him. Jared’s obviously not used to his four legs, damn-near tripping a few times before he crosses the distance between them.  
  
Jensen nuzzles Jared’s snout, licking the soft fur. Jared flinches, jerking back with a whine, his ears flat to his head. Jensen just moves closer, butting their heads together, once again licking the younger were’s muzzle. Jared’s ears slowly perk up, his hazel eyes blinking slowly as his tail starts to wag a bit. The alpha circles the omega a few times, sniffing and licking. Jared stands still and lets him, his stance eventually loosening.  
  
Feeling like a pup, Jensen drops his chest to the ground, nipping playfully at Jared’s white front paws. Jared growls low in his throat, the sound making him jump and let out a startled yip. If Jensen could in his wolf form, he’d laugh his ass off. Instead, he settles for nipping at Jared again before taking off at a slow run.  
  
The omega takes a moment to follow but he eventually does, running after Jensen. He lets Jared catch him, bouncing around and butting against his flank. Jared growls again, the sound more playful this time and jumps at Jensen. They run and play for a while before collapsing against the forest floor, their tongues lolling out of their mouths, chests heaving slightly. Jensen lifts his head and looks over at Jared, sees his hazel eyes shining and feels something warm twist in his stomach. Ignoring it, he crawls forward, once again licking Jared’s muzzle. To his surprise, Jared licks his back, flopping his head down onto Jensen’s neck.  
  
They lie there for a while before Jensen shifts back, lightly scratching Jared behind his ears. Jared scoots closer, his head resting in Jensen’s lap. “See?” Jensen asks softly. “Definitely not monsters and not dangerous.” He stops, once again running his fingers through Jared’s soft fur. “You wanna shift back and head out? We can talk some more, if ya want?”  
  
++++++  
  
Jared stands up and closes his eyes, barely grunting with pain this time when he shifts. It’s getting easier but a part of Jared is still terrified of it. Jensen smiles brightly and hands him his sweats and shirt before heading back toward the house.  
  
They spend the next few days exactly the same way – running and playing in the woods in their wolf forms before heading back to the house. Jensen tells him all about his pack, and the history of werewolves. Slowly, Jared begins to accept that maybe his parents were wrong about his true nature. Jensen’s the kindest man he’s ever met – along with Jim – and there’s not a single part of Jared that feels like he wants to attack or hurt someone when he’s in his wolf form.  
  
He spends all this time with Jensen, and occasionally Doc Beaver, and Jared’s gotten comfortable with him. He never had friends growing up – always felt like he was too different to really hang out with other people – so it’s nice to feel like he finally has a friend.  
  
They’re lying in what Jared has come to think of as  _their_  clearing – a few yards away from Jensen’s house. Jared’s flopped over Jensen’s flank, lazily batting at Jensen’s tail, laughing internally when Jensen growls without much heat. They’ve been running around for hours and they’re both tired and Jared’s almost asleep when he feels Jensen’s whole body tense beneath him.  
  
Jared lifts his head, whining and cowering behind Jensen’s now human form when he sees a large gray wolf standing in front of them. Jensen reaches back, scratching behind his ear and Jared leans into the touch, nosing at the older man’s thigh, whining again. “’s okay, Jay,” he says softly. “Hey, Dad. What’s up?”  
  
Jared peeks around Jensen’s leg and watches as the huge wolf shifts into an older man. It’s obvious that he and Jensen are related and even though Jared is just starting to learn about wolves and the hierarchy, he can sense power coming off the man. Jared stays low to the ground – out of respect and fear in equal parts – watching the two men talk.  
  
“How’re things going, son?” Jensen’s dad asks.  
  
“Good. They’re good. We’ve been practicing his shifting and talkin’. He’s really getting used to things, I think.”  
  
Jared blinks, looking up at Jensen when he realizes that they’re talking about him. “That’s good,” Jensen’s dad says, nodding. “Think he can shift and talk to me? It’s been a week, Jensen. He needs to make his choice.”  
  
Jared hears Jensen inhale deeply, scents worry and uncertainty from him. Jared’s proud that he’s starting to be able to recognize emotions that way. “Yeah, okay. I… We’ll meet you at the house, okay?”  
  
Once Jensen’s dad is gone, Jensen turns back to Jared, sitting down in front of him. “Jay? Can you go ahead and shift?”  
  
Jared inhales deeply and closes his eyes, surprised when he feels the tingles go through him but no real pain. He smiles when he opens his eyes again, sitting on the forest floor in his human form. Jensen smiles back at him – soft and fond – and it makes heat pool low in Jared’s belly, makes his heart beat uncomfortably hard against his ribcage. He ignores the feeling, focusing instead on the green-eyed man in front of him. “When we first brought you here,” Jensen starts softly. “Dad said that once I’d taught you about yourself, you’d have to make a choice. You can stay here with us or I’d have to take you back to your human parents. He, uh, he wants to see you at the house now to discuss that.”  
  
++++++  
  
Jared looks terrified and Jensen hates that he has to do this to the younger man but it’s his father’s call and Jensen has no choice but to follow it. “’s okay, Jay,” Jensen says softly, barely fighting the urge to reach out and touch Jared. They’ve become quite affectionate in their wolf forms but it hasn’t really transferred into human form. “Whatever choice you make…” Jensen trails off, not wanting to finish, because he doesn’t want to lie to Jared. The truth is, he’d be devastated if Jared decided that he wants to go back to the humans.  
  
“I… Can I stay with you?” Jared whispers, glancing up at Jensen through his bangs.  
  
Jensen licks his lips, rubbing at the back of his neck. “You’re more than welcome to stay with the pack, if you want.”  
  
“But not you?” Jared asks, digging his fingers into the dirt.  
  
“There’s room, you can stay at the house,” Jensen assures the younger man, smiling when Jared peaks up at him again. “C’mon, don’t wanna keep the Alpha waitin’.”  
  
Alan insists on speaking with Jared alone, which leaves Jensen to pace outside his father’s office for the half an hour the young omega is behind the closed door. Mack is leaning against the wall, smirking at him as she watches him pace. “What?” Jensen eventually snaps.  
  
“Nothin’,” his sister laughs, shaking her head. “Just… never thought I’d ever see you this worked up.”  
  
“’m not worked up,” Jensen mutters. “Just… worried. Jared’s not been around anyone but me and Jim. I can feel his nerves.”  
  
Mack’s eyes widen and she breaks out into a bright grin. “Jensen,” she gasps. “Oh my God.”  
  
“What?” he asks, blinking in confusion at the creepy smile she’s giving him.  
  
“Can you really not see it?” When Jensen just raises an eyebrow at her, Mack shakes her head again. “Wow, my big brother, the dumbest alpha to ever walk the earth. Jared’s your mate, dumbass.”  
  
Jensen blinks owlishly at his sister, a sickening sense of realization clawing at his gut. He’d be lying if he said that he didn’t have feelings for the younger man – feelings that have grown stronger the more time they spend together and have nothing to do with the fact that he’s gorgeous – but he honestly hadn’t realized that his feelings had grown to that point. He’d been so worried about trying to help Jared come to terms with himself, that he’d missed the obvious signs that his wolf had finally found his mate.  
  
Jensen opens his mouth to respond to his sister – not sure what he actually plans on saying now that he’s finally realized the truth – when the door to his father’s office swings open. Alan leads a bewildered looking Jared into the hallway. Jared’s eyes are a little wide and Jensen can still smell is unease but it’s not as bad as it was before and the fear is mostly gone.  
  
Jared smiles shyly at Jensen before dropping his eyes to the floor once again and like the world’s biggest cliché, his heart skips a beat. Jensen is practically vibrating, barely resisting the urge to rush to the younger man’s side. Mack smirks at him as she walks away, her giggles echoing down the hallway.  
  
“What’s going on with your sister?” Alan asks, looking back and forth between Jensen and his sister’s retreating back.  
  
“I think mom dropped her on her head when she was a pup,” Jensen mutters, glaring after Mack.  
  
Alan barks out a laugh and Jensen’s attention is drawn back to his father and Jared. Alan smiles and lays a fatherly hand on Jared’s shoulder. “Jared’s made his decision, Jensen.”  
  
++++++  
  
Jared swallows thickly, barely daring to glance up at Jensen. It really wasn’t a hard decision to make when Alpha Alan asked him if he wanted to stay with their pack. His parents have deceived him his whole life and forced him to hide a huge part of himself. But more than that, he also can’t imagine leaving Jensen. The older man – an alpha like Alan he’d learned – has quickly become not only the first friend Jared’s ever had but a source of pure comfort and has been able to keep Jared calm through learning about this part of himself and teaching him that there’s nothing wrong with him.  
  
He just really hopes that Jensen is okay with him staying. He’d said it was okay in their clearing but what if he’s changed his mind?  
  
Jensen looks between Jared and Alan, one eyebrow quirked. “Well,” he eventually huffs. “Is one’a you gonna tell me or do I have’ta guess?”  
  
Jared darts a quick glance toward Alan, waiting until the older Alpha gives him a nod, before Jared turns back toward Jensen. “’mma stay,” Jared says softly.  
  
Jensen smiles brightly and pulls Jared into a hug. Jared stiffens for a moment before relaxing into Jensen’s embrace. “That’s great, Jay,” Jensen says softly just before pulling away.  
  
Alan looks between them – an unreadable expression on his face for a moment – before focusing solely on Jensen. “He can stay in the guest room he’s already been in.”  
  
Jensen nods and smiles once again at Jared before turning to his father. “A moment, Dad?”  
  
“Of course,” Alan says around a nod. “Well, you can head on up to your room if you’d like, son,” he says to Jared, once again clapping him on the shoulder. “Or head out into town. Whatever you’d like to do. We’ll have a town meeting soon to introduce you to the rest of the pack officially. But as of now, our home, our town, is yours as well.”  
  
Jared feels tears stinging behind his eyes but he swallows them back, smiling up at Alan. “Thank you, Alpha,” he whispers. “I… I guess I’ll just go upstairs for a while.” He doesn’t want to admit that he’s nervous about heading into town – or meeting anyone – without Jensen’s steady, calming presence next to him.  
  
He stands there for a few more moments, watching Jensen and his father enter the same room he just came out of, Jensen shooting him one last look over his shoulder before shutting the door.  
  
++++++  
  
Alan takes a seat behind his desk, gesturing for Jensen to take a chair. “I take it that you’re requesting to speak to me in an official capacity?”  
  
Jensen nods, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Yes, Alpha,” he mutters, barely daring to glance at his father. “I… I need some advice. And I guess to make you aware of something.” Alan nods at him to continue. “I, um, I’ve found my mate,” he says softly.  
  
To Jensen’s surprise, Alan chuckles. Jensen’s gaze darts up to his father’s. “I may be an older wolf, Jensen, but I still remember what young love looks like. Honestly, I’m surprised it took you so long to realize it.” At Jensen’s confused look, Alan continues. “I could’ve told you the first night that you brought him home.”  
  
“I… I was more worried about teaching him, about making him realize that there’s nothing wrong with who he is. I just, I didn’t figure it out until today. Actually, Mack pointed it out,” Jensen adds.  
  
“Well, what’s your plan here, son? You know that he’s not… He doesn’t understand mates or mating. Hell, I don’t really even think he understands what it means to be an omega. It’s not going to be easy.”  
  
“I know,” Jensen says softly, inhaling deeply and catching the faint hint of his mate’s scent still lingering in the room. It makes him feel more confident, completely sure that this is the right decision. “But… I- I think it’ll be worth it.” He pauses, straightening his spine and looks his father straight in the eyes. “He’s my mate. I know it.”  
  
Alan smiles – more father than Alpha at the moment. “I agree. You’re going to have to teach him _everything_ , Jensen. And I’d say to let him talk to Doc again about being an omega and heats. Seeing he just had his first last week, you’ve got time to worry about that.”  
  
Jensen nods and breathes a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Dad.”  
  
“Sure thing, son. Now go on. Go get your mate.”  
  
Jensen’s smile is so big it hurts his cheeks.  
  
He finds Jared in the spare room that he’d taken the younger man to the night he brought him home, his mate sitting on the bed, staring out the window towards the woods. His head snaps around when Jensen enters, a small smile curling up his lips, just a hint of those adorable dimples peeking out. “Hey, Jay,” Jensen says softly.  
  
“Hey, Jensen,” Jared whispers, running one hand through his long, chestnut-colored hair. “I, uh, ‘s okay that ‘m sayin’ right?”  
  
“Of course, Jared,” Jensen rushes to assure the younger man. Jared smiles again, but his gaze once again drifts to the window. “Do you, uh, do ya wanna head outside?” Jensen asks.  
  
++++++  
  
Jared smiles brightly and jumps up, bouncing over to Jensen. “Yes, please.”  
  
Jensen chuckles and wraps one arm around Jared’s shoulders, leading him toward the door. “You could’a just went out on your own, man. Like Dad said, you’re part of the pack now.”  
  
“I don’t… I don’t feel comfortable without you,” Jared admits, feeling his cheeks heat up. When Jensen doesn’t say anything, Jared glances up at the older man. There’s an unreadable look on Jensen’s face. “Jensen?”  
  
Jensen blinks and turns to look at Jared, a soft, fond smile on his face. “Yeah?”  
  
“Are you okay?” Jared asks softly. “I mean, we don’t have’ta go out if you don’t wanna.”  
  
“No,” Jensen says quickly. “I do. I just… there’s something on my mind. But ‘m okay.”  
  
Jared smiles, relieved that nothing is wrong and that Jensen still wants to hang out with him. They lapse into comfortable silence as they make their way to the woods but before Jared can strip off his sweats to shift, Jensen grabs his wrist. “Hey, Jay. Can we… uh, there’s something that I wanted to talk about first. Can we shift in a few minutes?”  
  
“Sure.” Jared smiles and plops down on the ground, panting the grass next to him.  
  
Jensen returns his smile and sits down next to him. Jared watches as Jensen’s strong, capable fingers pick at blades of grass. Jared starts to get nervous, wondering what’s wrong with his friend. “Jensen,” Jared urges, nudging the older man’s shoulder with his. “Whatever it is, you know you can tell me. Hell, you’ve helped me so much this last week.”  
  
Jensen inhales deeply and looks at Jared. “When you’ve talked to Jim, how, um, how much has he told you about being an omega?”  
  
Jared’s cheeks heat up again and he drops his eyes to Jensen’s chest. “He explained a little about want happened to me when I ran away last week… about my heat,” Jared whispers, playing with the hem of his t-shirt. “He… Jensen,” Jared whines. “’s embarrassing.”  
  
Jensen gasps and Jared’s eyes snap up. “No,” Jensen murmurs. “’s not something to be embarrassed about, Jared. Seriously. It’s natural and beautiful thing.” Jensen pauses, licking his lips. “But he explained it to you? And you understand it right?”  
  
“Yeah, I guess,” Jared says softly. “What’s this gotta do with anything though?”  
  
“Did he talk to you at all about mates? Or mating?”  
  
“Um, a little bit. He said that I’d mate with an alpha ‘cause ‘m an omega. But I don’t… I don’t really understand how it works, what that really means. How do you know?”  
  
Jensen smiles and reaches out, untangling Jared’s fingers from the hem of his t-shirt. “’s something that you just know. If you would’a been raised a were, in a pack, it would be easier for you to recognize the feelings, your mate.”  
  
++++++  
Top of Form

  
Jared looks up at him curiously, chewing softly on his bottom lip. Jensen’s fingers are still lightly holding Jared’s but the younger man doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to let go so Jensen doesn’t either. “Okay,” Jared says softly. “So, how… How will I know?”  
  
Jensen sighs and licks his lips. “You… honestly, I don’t know if you ever will. I mean, I guess if enough time passes and you get a little more used to your wolf you’d be able to scent your mate, be able to figure out those feelings.”  
  
“Oh,” Jared breathes, his shoulders slumping. “If I can’t sense him… How will I figure it out?” Jared asks sadly.  
  
“Well… I mean, you can always trust it to your alpha,” he mutters.  
  
Jared blinks in confusion, his nose crinkling adorably. “What?”  
  
“You won’t be the only one to sense the mating bond,” Jensen explains. “Your alpha will too.”  
  
“Oh,” Jared says again but he still looks confused. “What if I don’t like him?” Jared eventually asks softly.  
  
Jensen can’t help but chuckle. “You will. You may not be able to sense it ahead of time but once the bond is there, you’ll feel it. Were’s mate for life, Jay. One mate, forever. You won’t end up with someone you’re not meant to be with.”  
  
Jared nods, his eyes dropping to where their fingers are still loosely twined together. “Do you have a mate?” he whispers. “Won’t she be mad at you for spendin’ all this time with me?”  
  
Jensen sighs again and squeezes Jared’s fingers. “First, my mate wouldn’t be a girl,” he admits, smiling when Jared’s eyes dart up to his. “And secondly, no. I haven’t mated. Not officially anyway.”  
  
“What’s that mean?”  
  
“I know this is a lot to take in and honestly, I was going to wait but I just… ‘m sorry, Jay, I can’t…” Jensen trails off, his eyes searching Jared’s. “We’re mates, Jay.”  
  
Jared blinks owlishly, his lips falling open. “I don’t…” he pauses, inhaling deeply. “Jensen?” he asks helplessly.  
  
“’m sorry,” Jensen repeats. To his surprise, Jared jumps up, shifting in mid-stride and runs off. “Jared!” Jensen calls, watching helplessly as his mate runs off further into the woods.  
  
++++++  
  
Jared doesn’t think, can’t think. Everything is too much to deal with. He runs, for the first time really letting himself go, relishing the burn of his muscles, the breeze ruffling through his fur, the smell of the woods around him.  
  
He honestly doesn’t know why he ran away from Jensen. The older man is perfect and kind and with what little he actually knows about mating, he believes that Jensen would be a wonderful mate. But he’s not good enough for Jensen. Jensen deserves so much more than a mate that is afraid of his wolf, that is not in touch with the part of himself that should be able to recognize Jensen as his alpha.  
  
Sure, he’s made a lot of progress in the last week but he’s still unsure about himself, about what he is. He’s been hearing for so long how wrong he is, how unnatural. And even though he knows deep down that it’s not true, it’s still hard to deal with. And he’s not sure if he will ever be fully comfortable in his fur, if he’ll ever be able to come to terms with being a wolf.  
  
And being an omega… When Jim had told him about his heats twice a year, about the slick that his body would create and how he’d be unable to find relief or release without his alpha – and his knot, which scares the shit out of him if he’s honest – it really didn’t make Jared feel any better. And add to all that the fact that as a male omega, he’s fertile. It is all too much for Jared to comprehend.  
  
And now he’s found out that his best friend – his only friend – is stuck with him as a mate.  
  
Jared stops next to the tree where Jensen found him, his tongue lolling out of his mouth, his chest heaving from running so far and so fast. He hadn’t realized it that night, but he’d barely made it a few hundred feet from his parents’ backyard. He can see their house from here. He stands, looking at the house he grew up in. It doesn’t feel like home, never really did feel like home if he wants to be honest. Jensen, and Jensen’s house – the rest of the pack, even though he hasn’t even met them yet – feel like home.  
  
Jared whines low in his throat and drops down onto his belly, his muzzle resting on his front legs. He can’t go back to the human city – he’s learned too much to go back – but he doesn’t feel like he can go back to Jensen’s pack either now.  
  
His head snaps up when he hears a rustle in the distance, his ears flattening back against his head, a low growl starting in his throat before he catches a familiar scent. Jensen slowly walks toward him, belly low to the ground, his ears and tail drooping.  
  
Jensen’s beautiful as a wolf; just as he is as a man – snow white coat with a few spots of cinnamon-colored spots here and there, almost like his freckles, his eyes the same leafy green. Jared’s heart pounds against his ribs, his stomach twisting when he inhales deeply and catches even more of that familiar scent, a spicy, woodsy smell that he never really paid a whole lot of attention to before.  
  
Even though he doesn’t understand what he’s feeling – or what he’s scenting – deep down, he knows that his wolf recognizes his mate. And Jared is forced to believe what Jensen told him.  
  
++++++  
  
Jensen crawls forward, whining softly. Jared doesn’t move much, just his ears twitching a bit, so Jensen continues until he’s close enough to touch. He licks Jared’s muzzle, nosing against the side of his head. Jared tracks his movement, lets Jensen scoot closer, until Jensen can curl up around him.  
  
They may be the same height in human form – and even though Jared’s large for an omega – as alpha, Jensen’s wolf is bigger. He curls around his mate, once again licking his face. Jared finally relaxes, his head flopping down across Jensen’s front legs.  
  
They lie there for a long time, Jensen randomly licking and nudging his mate. A few times, Jared actually tentatively licks him back, nuzzling under his chin, curling up against his chest as much as he can. As much as Jensen wants to talk, wants to know why Jared ran, his wolf is happy to be cuddling with his mate so he holds off.  
  
Jared’s still and quiet so Jensen finally takes a look around himself. This is the spot that he found Jared at a week ago. He lifts his head, looking toward where Jared was staring. There’s a small, quaint little cottage a few hundred yards away, an older couple sitting on the back deck. Jensen knows without a doubt that those are Jared’s adoptive parents.  
  
Worry spikes in Jensen and he immediately shifts, rubbing his fingers through the soft fur on Jared’s belly when he whines. “’m sorry. I know you probably don’t wanna talk but are those… is that where you grew up?”  
  
Jared looks up at him – hazel-green eyes miserable even in his wolf form – and dips his head in the best nod he can right now. “Oh, Jay,” he breathes. “Are you… Do you regret your decision now? Do ya wanna go back?”  
  
As much as it would kill him – and his wolf is howling and clawing at his insides for even thinking it – if that’s what Jared wants, he’d let him go.  
  
Jared looks up at him again, then looks toward the house – and his parents – before turning back toward Jensen. He doesn’t shift, just scoots closer, butting his head against Jensen’s stomach. Jensen sighs and scratches behind his ear, smiling sadly when Jared’s tail wags lazily a few times. “I wish you’d shift so we can talk. ‘m sorry if it was too much to lay on you at once and ‘m sorry that you’re not happy about it…” he trails off, watching his fingers slide through his mate’s tawny fur. “It’s just easier for me to know that I already love you,” he adds, tone nothing more than a whisper.  
  
Jared whines softly and pulls away, looking up at Jensen with those champagne-hazel eyes. The younger man finally shifts and Jensen can’t help the shot of pride that zings through him at how effortlessly Jared’s able to do it now. “Jensen,” he sighs, dropping his head, his long hair falling into his eyes. “’m sorry I ran. And ‘m sorry you’re stuck with me…”  
  
Jensen reaches out, gently gripping Jared’s chin to force the omega to look at him. “’m not stuck with you, Jared. ‘m happy that we’re mates.”  
  
“I don’t… Alan told me that you’re supposed to be the next Alpha,” Jared half-whispers.  
  
“That’s true.”  
  
“A future Alpha deserves better than a mate who still doesn’t know everything about who he is… who’s still afraid of it sometimes.”  
  
Jensen smiles softly and wraps one arm around the younger man, pulling him closer. “Is that why you ran? Because you don’t think you’re good enough?” Jared tucks his head under Jensen’s chin and Jensen feels him nod. “Oh, sweetheart, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure, you may not know everything yet, but I’ll continue to teach you. And so will Doc and my father. Like I said, ‘m happy about you being my mate. I don’t… the thought of someone else mating you…” Jensen trails off on a low growl, his wolf not even wanting to think of someone else touching his mate.  
  
++++++  
  
Jared flinches a bit at the low growl from Jensen, ready to pull away – even though he really doesn’t want to – afraid that he’s done something wrong. But Jensen tightens his arm, pulling Jared closer. “’m sorry, Jay,” he whispers, nosing through Jared’s hair. “Do you think… I mean, would it be so bad bein’ mated to me?”  
  
Jared pulls back enough to look up at Jensen. “You’re the only real friend I’ve ever had,” Jared admits softly, ignoring the blush he can feel heating his cheeks. “I… I always knew I was different so I was quiet in school… kept to myself. But when I met you, I just… I felt safe, even though I was confused and scared to death. I wanted to stay here, with your pack, mostly I wanted to stay with you. I couldn’t imagine going back, being without you. I don’t… I just don’t think ‘m the right mate for you. You’re so amazin’, Jen. You deserve someone just as amazin’.”  
  
Jensen cups Jared’s blood-warm cheek, his thumb brushing back and forth over the bone. “Good thing my mate is pretty damn amazing then,” he says, tone a little gruff.  
  
“I don’t… I’ve never even kissed anyone,” Jared blurts out. “Let alone anything else.”  
  
Jared watches, mesmerized, as Jensen’s eyes darken slightly and his scent becomes richer, stronger. To his horror though, he feels himself starting to leak, just like he did the first night when he ran – although there’s not that strange ache deep inside him, that itch that he didn’t know how to get to. “That’s a good thing, Jared,” Jensen eventually murmurs. “A very good thing.”  
  
Jared doesn’t understand how being so completely clueless about yet another thing can be good, how Jensen can want an eighteen-year-old virgin with zero experience. “I don’t…”  
  
Whatever else Jared was about to say is lost when Jensen’s lips slide across his, slow and sweet. Jared’s whole body stiffens for a split-second before melting completely against the alpha’s chest –  _his_  alpha. Jared’s inner wolf preens under his mate’s attention, happiness and arousal and confusion curling through his belly.  
  
Jensen pulls away, his thumb brushing over Jared’s bottom lip. “I’ll teach you everything, Jare,” Jensen promises, his hand sliding back into Jared’s hair. “I’ll be the best mate I can, I’ll do anything to make you happy, to make sure you’re safe and that you’re comfortable and no longer afraid.” He pauses, dropping another sweet kiss to Jared’s lips. “Please, Jay. Let me?”  
  
Jared inhales deeply – catching another whiff of Jensen’s scent and it calms him immediately. He may still be unsure, but his wolf isn’t. His wolf is screaming inside him, clawing just barely beneath the surface. Jared smiles shyly and nods. “I-I’d like that,” Jared eventually whispers.  
  
They lapse into silence again for a while, Jensen’s hand carding through his hair much like it does when the older man pets through his fur. Jared can’t help but lean into the touch, a happy sigh leaving his lips. “’m happy ‘s you,” he says softly after a few moments of comfortable silence. “When you were talkin’ about mates, I was afraid of who I’d end up with, was afraid that it’d be someone I don’t know or wouldn’t be good to me…” Jared looks up at Jensen, smiling so deep he can feel his dimples digging into his cheeks. “So ‘m definitely glad that ‘s you. I’ll be the best I can for you, Jensen. I promise.”  
  
++++++  
  
Jensen feels like a puppy all over again. He wants to jump around and run and play with his mate. But it makes him sad to hear the insecurity still in Jared’s voice. “Baby, you’re already prefect.” Jared blushes adorably and Jensen can’t stop himself from leaning in to press his lips against the blood-warm skin. “C’mon,” he urges, pulling away just enough to grin at his mate. “’s been an emotional morning. Let’s go for a run and spend the afternoon lazing around in the sun. We’ll talk more later.” He stops, grinning harder at the smile creeping across Jared’s wide, candy-pink lips. “What’d’ya say?”  
  
Instead of answering, Jared shifts. Jensen watches as his mate drops his chest, his butt high in the air, his whole body wagging instead of just his tail. Jared nips playfully at Jensen’s fingers, a low bark bursting from his throat. “Oh, you’re in trouble now, omega,” Jensen mock warns right before he shifts himself, him and his mate taking off running, neither looking back toward the house or humans that had kept Jared from his true self for so long.  
  
They run and play for hours, Jensen letting Jared tackle him a few times, letting his mate get the upper hand to gain the confidence he’s still lacking. They end up back in their clearing and Jensen flops down on his side. He watches as Jared slowly pads forward then collapses mostly across his flank. Jared falls asleep and Jensen lies there, just watching over him, ensuring that his mate is safe. At some point, his father and mother wander close, his father’s head tilted in curiosity as he looks at Jared. Jensen snarls a little and he can see the knowing glint in his father’s eyes, can scent his approval. Alan nudges his own mate’s side to get her moving and Jensen knows that he’s in for one hell of a talk when they get back home considering that his mother didn’t even know he’d found his mate.  
  
After a few hours, Jensen shifts, running his fingers through Jared’s fur. “Jay, baby, c’mon.” Jared whines and scoots closer, burying his nose against Jensen’s side. Jensen chuckles and rubs between Jared’s ears. “’s almost dinner time, sweetheart. And we need’ta tell my mom the news.”  
  
That gets Jared’s attention. He sits up, his eyes wide when he looks at Jensen. “’s okay, Jared. I know that you haven’t spent any time with her but she’ll love you just as much as I do.” He pauses, running his hands through Jared’s fur one last time. “C’mon, shift.”  
  
Jared does as he’s told and Jensen helps him to his feet. As they start off toward the house, to his surprise, Jared reaches out and grabs his hand, twining their fingers together. Jensen glances over at him, frowning at the far-away look in Jared’s eyes. “What’s wrong?” he asks softly.  
  
Jared blinks and glances over at him, that blush back on his high cheekbones. “Since we’re mates now… Will I, um, will we share a room?” Jared asks, soft and shy and unsure.  
  
“That’s up to you, Jare. If you wanna, I’d love to have you in my room with me.”  
  
Jared bites down on his bottom lip and nods, his fingers tightening slightly around Jensen’s. “When can I move in?”  
  
Jensen stops and pulls Jared against his chest, pressing a kiss to his mate’s smiling lips. “Tonight. As soon as we get home. Whenever.” Jensen stops, grinning like an idiot. “God, ‘m so fuckin’ glad you said that. I would’a respected your decision but ‘m so happy that you wanna be with me.”  
  
Jared grins back at him, leaning even more against Jensen’s chest. “How does this work? I mean, I know you said we’re already mates. Is that all there is to it? The rest of the pack will just know?”  
  
Jensen keeps one arm around Jared and continues on toward the house. Once they’re safely inside and in Jensen’s room, Jensen pulls him over toward the bed, gently setting Jared down on the edge. He drops to his knees, his arms curling around Jared’s lean waist. “We are mates. But there’s… the rest’a the pack won’t just automatically know. When my dad introduces you at the meeting, he’ll make that announcement. But it won’t be official until…” Jensen trails off, unsure how to continue without overwhelming his mate again.  
  
“What, Jen? Just… just tell me.”  
  
“It won’t be official until I claim you,” he says softly. Jared’s eyes widen and Jensen rushes to continue. “’s private, just me and you.”  
  
“H-how?” Jared whispers.  
  
“Did… did Jim explain knotting?”  
  
Jared nods and swallows thickly. “Yeah, he, uh, he explained it, but only in reference to my heat.”  
  
“Alphas can knot their mates even when they’re not in heat,” Jensen explains. “You can’t get pregnant unless you’re in heat but we can still knot. That’s how… To claim you, we’d have sex, I’d knot you and bite you.”  
  
Jared pales. “Bite?” he croaks.  
  
“Yeah,” Jensen breathes. “It won’t… The mated betas I’ve talked to said it doesn’t really hurt. Maybe a bit at first but it’s more of a… pleasurable thing, I guess.”  
  
“Where?”  
  
Jensen brings one hand up, trailing his fingers over the base of Jared’s long, beautiful neck. “Right here,” he whispers, his inner alpha screaming at him to go ahead and claim his mate. “’s a sign of submission and possession. Even though you’re already mine now, after the claiming, my mark will be on you, and you’ll smell like me. There’d be no doubt that you’re my mate.”  
  
++++++  
  
Over the past week, with shifting and spending so much time with Jensen, Jared has gotten used to seeing the older man naked. And being naked himself. But all this talk about sex and knotting is making it more than obvious that they hadn’t redressed since they shifted and it’s starting to make Jared a bit uncomfortable.  
  
“W-when?” Jared asks, glancing up at Jensen through his lashes, swallowing thickly.  
  
Jensen smiles softly and tightens his arms around Jared’s waist – seemingly unaffected by their current state of undress – and presses a kiss to the side of Jared’s lips. “Whenever you’re ready, Jay,” he says softly. “’m not gonna push you into anything. I promise.”  
  
Jared can’t help but return Jensen’s smile, tentatively wrapping his arms around Jensen’s broad shoulders. After a few moments, Jensen pulls away and presses a kiss to Jared’s forehead, chuckling when Jared scrunches up his nose. “C’mon, let’s get cleaned up, dinner’ll be ready soon.”  
  
Jared officially meets Jensen’s mom Donna at dinner. He’s seen her around the house or in the yard but never actually spoke to her. She’s a sweet woman and Jared laughs so hard his stomach hurts when she teases Jensen about not telling her ahead of time about finding his mate. They sit around the table, laughing and joking and talking and for the first time in Jared’s life, he finally feels like he’s part of a real family.  
  
He can’t help but occasionally sneak glances at Jensen. The older man is simply breath-taking; a bright smile curling up his lips, his brilliant green eyes sparkling with happiness and crinkling at the corners with the force of his smile. At one point, Jensen looks over at Jared and their eyes lock and suddenly Jared knows that this is right and real and he’s thrilled that Jensen is his mate.  
  
Jared spends one last night in the guest room. But he and Jensen wake up early the next morning and spend most of the day in the woods, running and swimming and napping in the warm afternoon sun That evening, Alan officially introduces Jared to the rest of the pack as Jensen’s mate. It’s a small pack – no more than fifty people, including a few children – and Jared meets them all. Everyone is extremely nice and welcoming and Jared feels most of the rest of his nerves fade away.  
  
++++++  
  
The night his dad introduces his mate to the pack, Jared moves into Jensen’s room. And just like Jensen promised, he doesn’t push Jared for anything more than a few kisses. He’s mostly content to just fall asleep and wake up with the younger man in his arms. It is a true test of Jensen’s will-power though and his inner wolf is clawing at his brain, demanding that he claim his young, beautiful omega. And it certainly doesn’t help that Jensen can smell Jared’s arousal as well. But beneath that sugary-sweet smell is still a touch of the acrid scent of fear. And there’s no way he is willing to frighten – or possibly hurt – Jared.  
  
As the days pass, Jared and Jensen continue to get even closer and Jensen continues to teach Jared everything he thinks his mate needs to know. And as uncomfortable as Jared seems with it, they even talk about sex and mating some more. Jensen tells him what he can but he has no real way to know exactly what Jared will go through. Male omegas are extremely rare and there’s not another one in their pack for Jensen to get to talk to Jared. So he does the best he can.  
  
A few nights after Jared moved into Jensen’s room, they begin to explore the more physical side of their relationship. Jared’s touches are hesitant and Jensen is as patient as he can be, starting slow with hand jobs then blow jobs, rutting together; Jensen leads Jared through it all, everything except actual sex. Jared’s a quick study – and extremely passionate once he gets over his nerves. It’s amazing and Jensen’s so very glad that Jared is finally coming into his own – is no longer ashamed or afraid of his true nature.  
  
A few weeks after the public announcement, Jared crawls into bed, nosing playfully at Jensen’s jaw, nipping slightly at his neck. “Somethin’ you want, Jay?” Jensen teases, one eyebrow raised as he wraps his arm around Jared’s waist, pulling his mate against his side fully. Jared’s already half-hard and Jensen can smell his arousal, thicker than it’s ever been – the sweet, spun-sugar scent driving him crazy.  
  
“Maybe,” Jared murmurs, trailing his hand down Jensen’s bare chest. He’s getting bolder, initiating things more and more often on his own instead of waiting for Jensen to make a move. Jensen loves it, loves knowing that Jared wants this – him – just as much as he wants Jared.  
  
“Just maybe?” Jensen purrs, flipping Jared onto his back, stretching out so that he’s covering his mate completely. He dips his head and buries his face against Jared’s neck, laving his tongue over the slightly sweat-salty skin when Jared presses his head back against the pillow and moans, inhaling deeply. “Smells like more’n maybe,” he whispers against Jared’s skin.  
  
“Alpha,” Jared breathes, turning his head, baring his neck completely for Jensen.  
  
Jensen growls low in his throat, thrusting his hips down against Jared – pleasantly pleased to feel nothing but warm, baby-soft skin against his own instead of Jared’s typical sleep pants. Jared wraps his ridiculously long legs around Jensen’s waist, rocking up against Jensen. “Tell me,” Jensen rasps, pausing to lick his sandpaper-dry lips. “Tell me what you want, baby,” he half-commands, half-begs.  
  
++++++  
  
Jared inhales deeply and squeezes his eyes closed, arousal and need burning through his system. He’s hard and there’s what feels like a steady pulse of slick oozing from his entrance. He knows what he wants – what his body is craving – but he’s just not sure how to ask for it.  
  
Jensen has been wonderful about teaching Jared all that he can, but the truth of the matter is, Jensen is an alpha, he really has no idea what it’s like to be an omega. So Jared had went to Doc Beaver – despite the embarrassment – and talked to him again, asked for any books or something that the older beta could give him. Luckily, there were a few books and Jim sat him down and told him almost everything he needed to know.  
  
So he knows now that he’s ready, that he wants to be Jensen’s mate completely.  
  
Jensen nuzzles under his chin, nipping at his fluttering pulse and Jared shudders, his fingers clawing at Jensen’s back. “Please,” he whispers.  
  
“Please what?” Jensen asks, pulling back enough to look down at Jared. His mate is absolutely gorgeous like this – eyes lust-blown and dark, his freckled cheeks flushed with arousal, his lips spit-shiny and plumper than usual.  
  
Jared knows that Jensen’s not pushing him for an answer to be difficult or teasing, that he really needs Jared to tell him what he wants because he refuses to do anything that Jared’s not ready for. And he appreciates that, loves Jensen even more for it. “’m ready, Jensen,” Jared eventually whispers, peaking up at Jensen through his eyelashes, his fingertips sliding over the small of Jensen’s back, feeling the strong muscles flex and clench when he moves.  
  
Jensen pulls away even more, gently unclenching Jared’s arms and legs from around his body. Jared panics, thinking that maybe Jensen has changed his mind, doesn’t want to claim him after all, or that he’s done something wrong again. He drops his eyes to Jensen’s chest, embarrassment heating his cheeks and tears stinging at the corners of his eyes. “’m sorry,” Jared whispers, trying to move out from under Jensen. “I didn’t… I thought… Never mind.”  
  
“Wait,” Jensen rasps, his strong hands curling around Jared’s wrists. He tugs Jared’s arms up over his head, keeping him pinned in place. Jared wiggles, still trying to get away, a low whine tearing from his throat. “Stop, Jared,” Jensen commands, all alpha, and Jared still immediately, his whole body trembling. “Look at me.” Jared licks his lips and forces himself to look up at his mate. “What’s wrong? Why’re you sorry?”  
  
“You don’t… I told you I wanna and you pulled away,” Jared says softly.  
  
“Baby, no,” Jensen murmurs, dipping down to press a kiss to Jared’s lips. “Believe me, I wanna. I’ve wanted to since the day I told you that you’re mine. I just wanted… I needed to see you, needed to make sure that you’re sure.”  
  
Jared inhales deeply – the scent of his mate’s arousal thick in the room – and forces himself to hold Jensen’s gaze. “I’m sure,” he says, surprised by the strength of his own voice. “I want… I wanna belong to you completely.” He pauses, flexing his arms, testing his mate’s hold, the strength from Jensen, being held completely at Jensen’s mercy, forces another shot of arousal down Jared’s spine. “Knot me, alpha.”  
  
Jensen growls and smashes their lips together almost hard enough to draw blood. Jared moans, his fingers curling into useless fists. He opens his lips automatically when Jensen licks at the seam, his tongue sliding wet and perfect against Jared’s. Jensen’s hips grind down against his, Jensen’s cock – just as hard as Jared’s own – slides against Jared’s, the friction causing them both to moan this time.  
  
Jensen pulls away, just far enough to nip at Jared’s bottom lip. “Fuck,” he rasps. “Been waitin’ to hear that for weeks, Jare.” He lets go of one of Jared’s wrists and slides his hand down Jared’s side to his hip. “I know you’re still nervous,” he adds softly, strong, thick fingers kneading Jared’s hipbone. “But I promise I’ll do everything I can to make it good for you, to make it easier.”  
  
Jared smiles up at Jensen, feels his heart skip a beat. “I know,” he whispers, leaning up to press a kiss to Jensen’s lips. “I trust you, Jensen. I… I love you.”  
  
Jensen inhales sharply, his eyes getting darker, more possessive. “Jay,” he breathes. “I love you, too.”  
  
++++++  
  
Jensen lets go of Jared’s other wrist and cups his mate’s cheek, his thumb tracing those wide, candy-pink, smiling lips. As much as he doesn’t want to lose the contact, he shifts over so that he’s lying next to Jared on his side, his head braced on one fist. He grabs Jared’s chin, forcing his mate to look at him, before he slides his hand down Jared’s chest, tweaking his dusty-pink nipples, smirking when Jared’s eyes widen and he gasps a bit. Granted, they’ve been exploring a lot these last few weeks but there’s so much they haven’t gotten a chance to do yet and Jensen plans to do as many of them tonight as he can.  
  
He trails his hand down lower, stopping to run his fingers through the sparse hair below Jared’s belly button then over to the sharp cut of his hipbone. He by-passes Jared’s rock-hard, blood-thick length, instead palming the soft swell of his balls, rolling the tender flesh before tugging gently. Jared moans, his eyes fluttering closed.  
  
Jensen nudges his nose against Jared’s cheek, pressing a kiss to the spot where his dimple would be if he smiled. “Eyes open, sweetheart,” he murmurs. Jared immediately does as he’s told, locking eyes once again with Jensen. “That’s my boy,” Jensen praises, a rumbling moan of pleasure deep in his chest when Jared beams up at him with the praise.  
  
He slides his hand lower, tips of his fingers teasing the soft, sensitive skin right behind Jared’s sac. His mate is incredibly wet, slick leaking down the inside of his thighs, and Jensen’s cock throbs. He can’t wait to bury himself in that tight, wet heat.  
  
He’s fingered Jared once before; sliding just the tip of his index finger inside while sucking Jared’s cock. Still, when his fingers slip back further, pads lightly circling the sensitive skin of Jared’s rim, Jared flinches, his eyes wide and pleading. “Shh,” Jensen murmurs softly. “’s okay, Jare. We’ll go slow. ‘mma take care’a you. I promise.” Jared relaxes a bit, his legs flopping open wider and Jensen damn-near purrs in satisfaction. “That’s it, baby. So beautiful, spread out like this for me. So perfect. My perfect mate.” Jared smiles again – wide and happy, his dimples digging deep into his cheeks – and Jensen’s heart skips a beat.  
  
One finger slips in easy – Jared’s natural slick helping to ease the way. Jared doesn’t tense up, but his nose scrunches up and his brow furrows a bit. “Jensen,” he half-whines, shifting his hips.  
  
“’s okay,” Jensen repeats, thrusting his finger in and out a few times, twisting it, searching out that spot that he knows will make his mate see stars. Jared moans harshly, his eyes almost comically wide with surprise, when he finds that sweet spot, his lips falling open as he pants slightly. “There it is,” Jensen mutters around a grin.  
  
After a few moments, Jensen slides a second finger in, kissing and licking his way down Jared’s sweat-slick chest. He doesn’t stop until he’s on his belly between his mate’s spread legs, sucking Jared’s balls in to his mouth, first one then the other. Jared moans again – the sound music to Jensen’s ears – and twists his hips. Unable to resist tasting Jared, Jensen licks his way down to where his fingers are still moving steadily in and out of Jared’s loosening entrance. The first swipe of his tongue over Jared’s rim is amazing, Jared’s slick sweet and rich – just like he smells. Jared tenses a bit, long, slender fingers gripping Jensen’s shoulder. “Wha?” he gasps, trying to pull away. “Jensen… You…”  
  
Jensen pulls away long enough to look up the long line of Jared’s body and slowly licks his lips. “You taste so fuckin’ good,” Jensen growls, dipping his head back between Jared’s legs, licking around and between his fingers. Thankfully, Jared melts back against the mattress again, a long, drawn out moan tearing from his lips when he lets himself go, lets himself relax and enjoy the sensation.  
  
Jensen continues to slowly prep Jared – his tongue and fingers working his mate open as much as he can. He’s already dangerously addicted to the sweet tang of Jared’s slick, half-tempted to stay right where he is and get Jared off just like this. But the thought of burying himself inside his mate – of finally claiming Jared completely – has him eventually pulling away.  
  
Jared whines, reaching out for Jensen, trying to pull him close again. Jensen shushes him, petting his flank. “Shh,” Jensen murmurs, “’m not goin’ anywhere.” He pauses, rubbing over Jared’s hip. “’s easier on your hands and knees,” he rasps, tone deep and rough. “’specially once we tie.”  
  
Jared bites down on his already bitten-red bottom lip, his eyes once again wide and pleading. “Can we… I mean, at least this time, can we do it this way? I… I wanna see you,” he whispers. “I need to see you.”  
  
Jensen sighs and stretches out between Jared’s legs. There’s no way he can resist Jared’s lethal puppy dog eyes, has no real will-power to deny his mate anything. “Yeah, okay,” he murmurs. It’s not that he doesn’t want to see Jared as well, he just doesn’t want to hurt his mate, wants this to be as pleasurable as he can make it for Jared.  
  
++++++  
  
Jared inhales deeply, lets his mate’s now-familiar scent wash over him. He’s amazed at the calming affect it has. Jensen dips down, pressing a kiss to his lips as Jared feels the blunt tip of Jensen’s swollen cock-head nudging against his entrance. Jared’s whole body tenses – despite how much he wants this, he’s still nervous. “’s okay,” Jensen murmurs. “Just relax and breathe for me, alright?”  
  
Jared nods, not taking his eyes off his mate as Jensen slowly presses forward. Jared hisses softly, his fingers digging into Jensen’s biceps bruise-tight. “Jen,” he whimpers.  
  
“I know, ‘m sorry,” Jensen whispers – his tone rough and deep, like he’s been gargling shards of broken glass. Thankfully, he doesn’t stop though, just continues to slowly sink into Jared. He’s actually glad that Jensen keeps going, not sure if he can handle any starts and stops. After what feels like forever, Jensen stops, his hips flush against Jared’s ass, the thick line of his cock as far inside as he can be. Jensen’s jaw is clenched and his chest is heaving, his nostrils flaring but his gaze is soft and full of love.  
  
Jared shifts his hips, not sure if he’s trying to find a more comfortable position or if he’s trying to get away, and Jensen groans, dropping his head, his forehead pressed against Jared’s. “You okay?” he rasps.  
  
Honestly, Jared’s not sure if he’s okay or not. The ache and burn are easing up, just leaving behind an uncomfortably full feeling that he’s not sure whether he likes or not. Instead of trying to explain – or even understand – the confusing sensations in his mind and body, Jared merely hums and forces himself to let go of the death-grip he has on Jensen’s biceps and wraps his arms around Jensen’s shoulders.  
  
Jensen kisses him again, slow and sweet and thorough, as he slowly starts to rock his hips a bit, pulling out a little further each time until he has a steady, even rhythm going. Jared focuses on his mate’s features – his lust-blown eyes and kiss-bruised lips, the flush across his cheeks that makes his freckles stand out even more. Jensen slides one hand down his thigh, gripping behind his knee and pulls his leg up a bit and on the next thrust, his cock hits Jared’s prostate perfectly. Jared cries out, his back arching as his eyes slam shut, a fresh trickle of his slick leaking out around Jensen’s thick cock.  
  
“Jare,” Jensen growls, nudging his nose against Jared’s cheek. “C’mon, look at me.” Jared forces his eyes open, blinking rapidly up at Jensen. “God, you feel so fuckin’ good. You doin’ okay?”  
  
Part of Jared wants to growl at Jensen, to scream that he’s fine and beg for Jensen to do that again. Thankfully, he doesn’t have to. Seems as if now that Jensen has found that sweet spot, he keeps that same perfect angle and suddenly Jared gets why people do this, what the big damn deal is. “Fuck!” he gasps hoarsely, only mildly embarrassed by the obscenity falling from his lips. “Please, Jensen. More… I need more. Feels so good.”  
  
Jensen moves just enough so that he can get one hand between them, curling his strong, thick fingers around Jared’s once-again rock-hard length. Jared moans, his head pressing back into the pillow, unknowingly baring his neck to his mate, his inner wolf taking over and submitting completely to his alpha. Jensen’s thrust slow and Jared whimpers, his eyes squeezing closed.  
  
“Shh,” Jensen says softly. “’s okay. ‘m… ‘m close, Jay,” he warns and Jared can feel the bulge of Jensen’s knot catching on his rim with each of Jensen’s thrusts.  
  
“Okay,” Jared breathes, glancing up at Jensen. “’m alright. Do it.”  
  
++++++  
  
Jensen stares at the long, beautiful line of his mate’s neck, the golden skin sweat-slick, almost glistening. He can hear the pounding of Jared’s heart just barely over the painful pounding of his own, can smell the strong scent of both their arousals, the sweet smell of his omega, and it forces him to stop thrusting and starting grinding against Jared’s ass.  
  
Jared tenses when Jensen’s knot catches completely and swells the rest of the way, tying them together, a low cry tearing from his lips that’s half pain, half pleasure. Jensen howls when the first burst of his release shoots inside of Jared’s still tight, incredibly warm, wet channel. Falling forward slightly, he sinks his teeth into Jared’s neck, the coppery tang of his mate’s blood bursting across his tongue. He keeps stroking Jared’s cock even as his mate whimpers, his head lolling to the side.  
  
He can feel Jared’s cock twitch in his hand, his inner muscles fluttering a split-second before Jared cries out again – pure pleasure this time – when he comes, those smooth inner muscles contracting around Jensen’s knot and he bites down harder. Jared shudders, another weak pulse of come leaking from his cock, dribbling down over Jensen’s knuckles.  
  
Reluctantly, Jensen lets go of Jared’s neck, licking the wound in silent apology, before pulling back enough to look down at Jared. His eyes are dark and heavy-lidded, his swollen, bitten-red lips parted softly as he pants, his chest heaving slightly. He’s beautiful and it hits Jensen all over again that Jared – this beautiful creature, this perfect omega – is finally, fully his. “Mine,” he growls.  
  
Jared’s whole body trembles and his softening cock twitches where Jensen’s still cradling the spent, sticky flesh. “Yours,” he breathes, swallowing thickly. “Jensen… Alpha…”  
  
“Shh, ‘s okay, baby,” Jensen murmurs, nosing under Jared’s jaw, pressing a kiss to the sweat-salty flesh. He shifts enough so that he can rest most of his weight on his forearms where they’re bracketing Jared’s head. The movement pulls on his knot and Jared whines, his thighs tightening around Jensen’s hips. “Sorry,” Jensen whispers, pressing a kiss to Jared’s lips.  
  
Jared’s eyes slide closed and his arms fall down so that they’re loosely wrapped around Jensen’s waist, fingers of one hand drawing random patterns on the small of Jensen’s back. Jensen has one hand twisted into the sweat-damp strands of Jared’s hair and he watches as his fingers idly play with the silky-soft waves. “How long will we be tied?” Jared eventually asks without opening his eyes.  
  
Jensen hums in the back of his throat, nuzzling under Jared’s jaw. “Didn’t Doc tell ya how long this lasts?”  
  
“Yeah. Said it varies by alpha.” Jared finally opens his eyes to look up at Jensen. There’s a sadness behind those gold-flecked, hazel-green depths and Jensen’s at a loss as to why. “So… how long does it last for you?” he eventually asks, his tone quiet and subdued.  
  
“Honestly, I don’t know.” Jensen licks his lips, his head tilted to the side as he studies his mate’s face. “I’ve never… Didn’t you learn that alphas only knot with their mates?” Jared’s brow furrows and he shakes his head a bit. Jensen sighs and lightly scratches his fingers along Jared’s skull, just like he would when Jared’s in his wolf form. “Baby, I’ve never done this.”  
  
Jared’s eyes widen slightly as he searches Jensen’s face. “You… Really?”  
  
“Yeah. Told you, were’s mate for life. And knotting is only done between mates. I guess Jim just figured that was a given. Sure, I’ve had sex before, but I’ve never knotted anyone. My wolf wouldn’t allow it.”  
  
++++++  
  
Jared hadn’t wanted to admit that the thought of Jensen knotting someone else, of being so intimately connected, had damn-near broken his heart. In all his research and his talks with Jim, that hadn’t ever come up. It still hurts some that Jensen has had sex before but it helps knowing that whoever it was didn’t get this part of Jensen – this part that’s his and his alone.  
  
Like he’s reading Jared’s mind, Jensen leans down to whisper against his ear, “For all that you’re mine, ‘m yours as well, sweetheart.”  
  
Jared’s heart swells and he feels a fresh wave of lust and want roll through him. Jensen’s knot is pressed up against his prostate, the steady pulses of his mate’s release hitting the over-sensitive gland and Jared feels his spent cock twitch. Jensen licks over the wound he left on Jared’s neck and he can’t help but moan, tilting his head back, silently urging his alpha for more.  
  
“Gonna get hard and come again for me, Jay?” Jensen damn-near purrs against his ear, nipping at his earlobe. Jared’s only answer is a low, drawn out keen when Jensen starts to stroke lightly up and down his quickly rehardening flesh. “That’s it, love,” Jensen urges, rocking his hips enough to rub his knot against Jared’s sweet spot.  
  
Jared loses himself all over again to his mate’s talented fingers and lips and cock. By the time Jensen’s knot deflates enough to pull free, he’s wrung two more orgasms out of Jared and an hour has passed. Jared’s sore in the best possible way and a little sleepy, well-fucked and content. Jensen collapses on the mattress next to him, pulling Jared into his arms. He curls up against his mate’s strong, broad chest, sighing contently. It may have taken him eighteen years and a lot of confusion and heartache but he’s finally found himself, found where he truly belongs, and he honestly couldn’t be any happier.


End file.
